Kwena Maphaka, the youngest South African to debut across all three international formats, has quickly developed a knack for consistently taking crucial wickets for his team.
Making his Test debut against Pakistan during the second match of the 2024-25 series in Cape Town, Kwena Maphaka dismissed Pakistan great Babar Azam for the maiden wicket of his Test career.
Maphaka has played five matches against Babar across formats and dismissed him three times already. Babar has close to 15,000 international runs across formats and is fifth on Pakistan’s all-time list.
On Sunday, Maphaka bowled consistently at good line and length and at a pace exceeding 140 kmph. Babar, batting on well-made 58, tried to flick a boundary of his body but a faint edge was caught by Kyle Verreynne behind the wickets.
South Africa, who have already qualified for the World Test Championships 2023-25 final, posted 615 in the first innings and enforced follow-on on Pakistan after dismissing them for 194.
Maphaka also dismissed Babar in the second match of the ODI series after claiming a four-fer on his ODI debut against the Pakistan cricket team.
Kwena dismissed Babar Azam for a duck in his head-to-head T20I match-up last month with a short ball.
Last year, Kwena Maphaka made his T20I debut for the South Africa cricket team against the West Indies in August, becoming the youngest South African man to play international cricket at 18 years and 137 days.
Earlier in the ongoing Test match, Maphaka, a member of the Rajasthan Royals IPL 2025 squad, became the youngest South African to play Test cricket, making his debut at the age of 18 years and 270 days.
Paul Adams, who made his debut against England at Gqeberha in 1995, was 18 years and 340 days when he made the previous record.
Last year, at the U-19 World Cup, Kwena registered 21 wickets to finish as the top wicket-taker. It is also the record for the most wickets in a single tournament by a fast bowler.
